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Raki or Tsikoudia
Raki is a traditional anise-flavoured spirit enjoyed across Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, and the Middle East, yet in Crete, it takes on a unique identity as tsikoudia, reflecting centuries of history, culture, and communal tradition.
What is Raki?
In its broader form, raki is a clear, strong alcoholic beverage usually distilled from grapes, grape pomace, or raisins and often flavoured with aniseed, giving it a liquorice-like aroma. With an alcohol content of 40–50%, it is typically served in small glasses, sometimes with water to reveal its signature milky “louche” effect—a transformation that has earned it the nickname “lion’s milk” in Turkey. Raki is traditionally enjoyed with meze, small plates of food such as olives, cheese, seafood, or grilled meats, making drinking a social ritual as much as a sensory experience.
Cretan Raki: Tsikoudia
In Crete, raki is known as tsikoudia, a translucent, potent spirit distilled purely from the residues of the wine-making process (tsikouda), without aromatic additives. Its alcohol content ranges from 35% to 60%, ranking it among the strongest traditional spirits worldwide.
The islanders have maintained a time-honoured ritual of production: each November, families and communities gather around the kazani, the distillation boiler, to produce tsikoudia. These gatherings are more than practical—they are a celebration of culture, where participants share stories, laughter, and the famous Cretan mantinades, soulful verses that echo the island’s heritage. Archaeological evidence, including charred grape seeds and remains in jars from the Palace of Phaistos, shows that the distillation of raki has been practised on Crete for thousands of years, linking modern drinkers to their Minoan ancestors.
Drinking Raki: A Social and Culinary Experience
Whether in Turkey, Greece, or the Mediterranean, raki is best enjoyed with friends. On Crete, tsikoudia reaches its full potential when paired with traditional Cretan appetisers such as:
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Potatoes oftes (baked whole in the fireplace or oven)
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Olives and raw vegetables like cabbage and cucumbers
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Snails
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Paximadi (Cretan barley rusks)
The ritual of sharing raki, sipping slowly, and enjoying these local delicacies transforms drinking into a cultural celebration of friendship, hospitality, and heritage.
Why Raki Endures
Raki, and especially Cretan tsikoudia, stands out for its simplicity, authenticity, and communal spirit. Unlike flavoured or mixed spirits, tsikoudia captures the pure essence of the grape, reflecting the island’s land, history, and traditions in every glass. From casual meals to festive gatherings, raki unites people, evokes stories of the past, and keeps cultural heritage alive.
In the end, raki is more than a drink—it is a taste of the Eastern Mediterranean, a tradition of Crete, and a shared moment of joy that has endured through the centuries.
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Source: My Little Greek Foodbook
Photo: eparxies.gr
